Should I move my Weeping Fig?

Hello,
I adopted a mature but neglected indoor weeping fig tree/bush just under four weeks ago. Understandably it had dropped most of it's leaves before I collected it and continued to drop more once it was re-located to my bedroom. I've found the perfect aesthetic placement for it in my room, but from what I've read it's not going to fulfill it's sunlight requirements.

I have a south-facing bedroom with two sash windows separated by large overhanging beams (which I only mention because the beams cause shade limiting the places I can put plants to directly on the windowsill or in front of the window). Currently, the tree is located opposite one of the windows, but about 3.7m away from it on the other side of the room. I've just read in a houseplant book that "*no* plant will survive more than 2m away from a [south facing] window" as the light levels are too poor! I did the camera light sensor test and it does seem that the light levels are indeed poor (in spite of not appearing that way to the naked eye, it still casts a fuzzy shadow and I can read comfortably). However, the tree is producing tiny new shoots.

I've read you have to move plants closer to the window in winter due to lower light levels anyway....So, should I re-locate the tree? The only option I have is to move it almost right up to the window (which presumably I will then have to keep closed as the tree doesn't like drafts!-Good thing there's another window!). Or is it possible that it will do ok where it is? I never know quite what to believe from what I read!

Once a weeping fig has dropped it's leaves (which it will no doubt do again if I move it), how long does it take for them to grow back? It's only been 3.5 weeks and it's still dropping a few each day at the moment. I don't know whether to leave it be longer to see if it adapts, or whether to just move it again now.

Thanks in advance!

 

I should e mail the author there, Sis has got a Rosary Vine 2.5 metres from a west facing window, only gets about an hour of sun in the morning, practically none in the winter, and its thriving.

Nearer the window will probably help the fig though, i'm curious, did it go short of water, have you given it a good soak and a feed?

 

Indeed, it's anecdotal evidence like that that makes me wonder just how accurate that information is...But of course different plants have different requirements, from what I read a Weeping Fig does require at least semi-sun conditions and not semi-shade or shade, whereas a lot of vine plants can survive in lower light levels (though again, this is from reading online or from books, which are most likely correct, but I don't have any personal experience to go by!). The light levels will reduce even further come winter, so if the light readings are poor at this point, I fear it may not survive.

The previous owner did let the soil dry out completely, to the point that the soil had desertified to dust! It is approx 2m tall, but the container it was in was waaaaaaay too huge. So I re-potted it into a smaller pot (still larger than the root ball and heavy enough to support it) with brand new multi-purpose compost (with fertilizer). The leaves are all still green and there is a tiny bit of new green growth, so the root ball must not have been damaged. It seems to be doing ok, but I don't know if it should have stopped dropping leaves or have grown a lot more new leaves by now?

Would be great to hear from other Weeping Fig owners .

 

I've only just seen this thread, sorry! I've had weeping figs for thirty years plus, (Ficus Benjamina).

My present six footer is standing to the left of a north west facing window and doesn't get sun at all, they don't need sun to survive but they do need as much light as possible. The only thing I've found with mine is, that it tends to branch one side more than the other, probably because the light isn't even. Mine is also next to a radiator which they don't mind either. They don't like draughts or the cold and prefer not to be moved around, if you can find a spot where it can stand permanently it will be happy. It is a plant that is happy been starved, I can't remember the last time I fed mine, certainly not this year and I only water it when it has completely dried out. Although they seem temperamental mine has been re-potted three times over the last year as I've had problems with fungal gnats thanks to B&Q, but my plant has withstood all this and they are tougher than they seem.

Your fig should be happy with an open window during the summer months when it's warm as long as it's not being blown about, obviously during the winter the situation will be different. It will continue to lose leaves until it is settled, that could take a few months and re-growth will be slow but as long as new leaves are appearing I shouldn't worry too much at this point.

Below is my present plant soon to be discarded as it's old. I've taken cuttings and grown them on and they are now about sixteen inches tall, the original plant lives on. Having said that, the plant below is not the original but again a cutting I took from it's parent about fifteen years ago. The picture shows the fig standing on the right of the window, I moved it to the other side two years ago.